...Life... we can live for years or die tomorrow. We never truly know...

   A coworker of mine passed yesterday. She was young, full of life, spunky, a firecracker. We weren't best friends, but you get to know people working side by side and you become friends in the workplace over time. 

   You would never think a very young mother of 2 little ones would pass so quick and out of nowhere. Especially someone who brings positivity and life to those around them, but it happens every day.

   I laid awake with my thoughts running last night, still in disbelief and of her 2 young children growing up without their mom. The way she went out hit home. Then going to work today made it seem more real as other coworkers around me spoke of her as now in the past instead of the present.

   You never know how you're gonna go or when, it's just a reminder to not let life pass you by, to not live in the negativity and to live life to the fullest with love, kindness and compassion, not only towards others, but for yourself as well.

   Ask yourself, if you died tomorrow, would of you been happy with how you lived today?

   I speak a lot of times in my posts about not letting people's negativity steal your peace. Why, because if they're stealing your peace, they're taking the joy out of your life and the breath from your lungs and you're dying slowly in place.

   It's easier said than done to burn the bridges of those we love who are supposed to love us yet punch us down because we don't want to be like them, the one who walks away or isn't there like they haven't been for us. We take on people's bullshit because we love them and are loyal, but in truth, we can never change them and what we allow will surely continue.

   I've cut people off only to let them back in because I love them and because I feel I'm the only one there for them when no one else is and I know that feeling and it sucks ass. Problem is, the bullshit begins again and we're left hurting once again.

   As short as life is, we're giving our time to those who don't value or appreciate us instead of those that do. Maybe silly to say, but it's true.

   When is enough, enough?

   When we're taking our last breath and we're buried in the ground so deep by the weight of the bullshit?

   I'd rather be buried with a smile and have spent my last days with those I love who love and appreciate me.

   Bullshit can make us not only mentally ill, but physically because our emotions affect our health, good or bad.

   I sure as hell ain't going out like that.

   And then there's the material things we get caught up in that we work our asses off just to throw it away on things we can't take with us when we die.

Don't get me wrong, it's cool buying that badass t-shirt or shoes and we definitely should treat ourselves and others, but when it becomes your only way of living to buy buy buy, then you're missing out on life.

   The true value of life is love, friendship and family. And family doesn't have to be blood. Family is those who stick together through thick and thin and who have each other's backs as it is in love and friendship.

   If people are weighing you down more than they're picking you up, then it's not truly a good relationship, friends, family or lovers. It doesn't matter how good a person is, because no doubt we always see the good in people and sometimes to a point it blinds us to the, not necessarily bad, but negative parts of them.

I never like to say a person is bad, not unless they've done some really fucked up shit, but people can be weights in the ocean and hold you down to drown with them.

   Not cool. That is stealing your peace and your breath of life.

   Like I mentioned, my thoughts ran wild throughout the night and the loss of the beautiful young coworker just made me reevaluate life and the people in it.

Man life's too short and we sometimes take it for granted whether we realize it or not.

We're only human though, but still, we gotta wake up sometimes and really open our eyes.

There's so much beauty and love that that's what life's worth living for. To love is a beautiful thing, but to be loved is extraordinarily beautiful.

   Surround yourself with those who love, care and lift you up, not those who tear you down, especially when they don't get what they want from you. They love you when it's convenient for them then hate you when they don't get what they want from you.

   A lovely man in my life has a saying, "you eat enough shit you'll start to like the taste of shit", and it's true, I think about that a lot.

   Live life, love, don't put off tomorrow something you can do today. Appreciate life, appreciate those people who bring you joy, smiles and laughter and who lift you up. Cut the heavy chain and rise from the ocean before you drown. Tomorrow's not guaranteed, but right now is; if you're breathing and your heart is beating, live in the here and now. Look to what you do have in your life and not what you don't have. Look to the positive people in your life and not to the negative people who continue to weigh you down.  You matter, your happiness matters, so live, but most of all love.

   I hope you smile today...